Canadian media hints at Atwal’s ‘close ties’ to Indian diplomatic channels

JALANDHAR: Canadian media has also followed up the negative publicity generated due to invitation extended to Jaspal Atwal, who was convicted for an attack on a visiting Punjab minister in

Canada

in 1986 when he was member of the International Sikh Youth Federation. Prominent Canadian paper, The Toronto Star has quoted Canadian official sources claiming that

Atwal

had already developed “close links” to Indian diplomatic officials. A few more reports in the Canadian media insinuate about ‘certain people’ within ‘Indian government’.

Atwal was not removed from the “India’s notoriously hardline blacklist” at the behest of any Canadian government official or agency, said a ‘star.com’ report titled “Convicted Sikh extremist has been removed from India’s travel blacklist, Star told”.

“The sources said also that Atwal is known to have met with and had ‘close links’ to Indian diplomatic officials with the Indian consulate office in

Vancouver

, and is close to other Indian officials as well. The insider suggested the Indian government itself appears to have accepted that ‘somehow his (Atwal’s) views on the issue of an independent Khalistan have evolved” and that he is “much more comfortable with” Government of India”, the ‘star.com’ report said.

‘Montreal Gazette’ carried a story titled, “The Indian government removed Jaspal Atwal from its blacklist. Why?”

“But Canadian officials say that, despite his criminal past — Atwal was convicted of attempted murder for his role in a 1986 attack on an Indian cabinet minister — he has now been removed from that list, and not at the behest of the Canadian government,” said the report authored by John Ivison.

“This was not an accident,” said a senior security source within the Canadian government, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Atwal has developed links with the Indian government and his political views “have evolved” in recent years. “They no longer see him as the enemy,” said the source, who believes it is convenient for some in India’s government, if not necessarily for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to embarrass Trudeau for being soft on Sikh separatism, the report adds.

Asked which part of the Indian government might be so motivated, the source said, “The intelligence service.”

“It doesn’t make any sense — until you start to consider who stands to benefit from Atwal’s attendance this week,” the report said.

‘The Chronicle Herald’ also carried a report on similar lines. Updated on Friday evening, the report titled “presence of attempted murderer on Trudeau’s India trip arranged by Indian government factions, official says”.

“…Jaspal Atwal’s presence was arranged by factions within the Indian government who refuse to believe there is no risk posed to united India by Sikh separatists living abroad, said the official,” the report said, adding “the factions wanted to undermine the Canadian tour to Indian to prevent the government of PM Narendra Modi from getting cozy to foreign governments they want to undermine a united India.”

It has also claimed that many incorrect facts were fed to various media outlets to push the story. “The tip to some media that the RCMP in Surrey, BC, knew about Atwal’s invitation before trip started and warned the PMO is completely false,” one of them said.

Notably, a story in ‘Vancouver Sun’ on Thursday claimed that Canadian Security Intelligence Service was tipped about Atwal’s past on February 17.

Authored by Kim Bolan, this report, titled “Information about gunman passed to Canadian officials earlier this month”, while citing unidentified sources has also claimed that that some members of the Punjabi-language media in Surrey sent news reports about Atwal’s history to the Canadian High Commission in New Delhi on Feb. 20.

“The tipster, who asked not to be identified for fear of retaliation, confirmed speaking to an agent from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service on Feb. 17, hoping to alert the Canadian government to Atwal’s criminal history,” the report said, adding, “The person said to the CSIS agent that “this is an embarrassment for the prime minister and (CSIS) should send a note to the prime minister’s office. And they sent a note.” “CSIS did not respond to requests for comment Thursday,” it added.